The solution at revision #20507 of , by Tete. This is not the current version.

Statement

2.3.28∗. A bead of mass slides along a vertical smooth and solid helix. The radius of the helical loop is , and the helical pitch (vertical distance between adjacent turns) is . With what force does the bead act on the helix at the moment when it has descended vertically to the distance ? The initial velocity of the bead is zero.

For problem $2.3.28$

Solution

A helix is simply an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder with an inclination angle of . A component of the normal force from the helix on the bead counters the component of gravity perpendicular to the helix. At the depth below the point of release, the gravitational potential energy transforms into the kinetic energy, and the bead has velocity along the helix, where its horizonal component is . As the horizontal projection of the helix is a circle with radius , the centripetal component of that keeps the bead moving around the cylinder is . Since the two components of are perpendicular to each other, we have

Using , we get

which has the same magnitude as the force that the bead acts on the helix.

Note that we could use the velocity and the radius of curvature of an osculating circle to the helix to obtain the same expression for the centripetal component of .

Answer